Adam Smith

Chelsea sacked Antonio Conte but did the Italian deserve the axe?

Chelsea have sacked Antonio Conte after months of speculation surrounding his future - but did he deserve the axe?

Conte closed the curtain on a dismal 2018 with an FA Cup triumph over former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, in a 1-0 win against Manchester United - but the silverware failed to save his job.

A transfer hiatus at the club has ensued during months of uncertainty surrounding the Italian's future - while stars such as Eden Hazard and Willian reportedly wanted clarification before deciding on their futures.

Months of speculation led to confirmation on Friday that Conte had left the club.

But how did Conte's record compare to other managers they've sacked?

During the Abramovic era, Conte's five-game average result was joint-best out of any permanent Blues boss upon dismissal - equal with Avram Grant and Phil Scolari.

Of those, the Italian become the fourth of nine to be dismissed at the end of a season, joining Claudio Ranieri, Grant and Carlo Ancelotti.

Conte survived an awful run of form between mid-January and April, losing seven out of 13 fixtures - including costly defeats against top-four rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

During this period he entered what could be termed the 'Chelsea danger zone', where many of their managers have been sacked.

Interestingly, Jose Mourinho oversaw, and survived, Chelsea's joint-worst run of form during the 15-year period in August, 2006.

Like Conte, that run came after lifting the Premier League trophy in the previous season - but Mourinho proceeded to win both domestic cups and claimed a runners-up spot in the Premier League.

Last season, Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, followed by the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle on the final day, opened the door for Liverpool to secure fourth spot and appeared to seal Conte's fate at the helm.

The club's hierarchy had backed the Italian through his dips and may have accepted a fourth-place finish and FA Cup triumph - but a fifth-place finish and failure to qualify for the Champions League eclipsed the late upturn in form.

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